Toure talks up City's season

Manchester - Yaya Toure believes Manchester City have the strength in depth to cope with four competitions as they prepare to face QPR at Loftus Road on Saturday.

Roberto Mancini’s side go into the weekend with a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League, having dropped just two points from their 10 matches this season.

Having picked up six points from their Champions League double-header with Villarreal, they know that a victory in their next match, at Napoli, will take them through to the knockout stage.

And, with the FA Cup still to come in the New Year, they face Arsenal in the quarter-finals of the League Cup at the end of November.

Manager Roberto Mancini has refused to complain about the fact that City face an away game after each of their six group games in the Champions League.

Their only dropped points this season came in a 2-2 draw at Fulham, which followed their opening European game against Napoli.

But they have followed up the last two Champions League matches with comprehensive victories at Blackburn and Manchester United.

Former Barcelona midfielder Toure thinks City are showing they have the staying power to compete throughout the whole season, and can still get better.

"The team is doing well and everyone is enjoying themselves and everyone is happy," he said. "We’re playing every three days but we keep improving.

"We’re working hard on the training ground, everyone in the team has fantastic confidence and that’s great for the club."

City have managed an impressive 36 goals in their first 10 Premier League matches as they have set the pace at the top of the table.

But after scoring 10 goals himself last season, Toure has been less of a threat in front of goal this time around, and his two goals in the 3-0 victory over Villarreal in mid-week were his first of the campaign.

That is partly because he has been asked to play a deeper role, with Nigel de Jong missing much of the start of the season through injury, and the fact that Mancini brought in Samir Nasri and Sergio Aguero in the summer.

But he insists he is happy with his contribution.

"I'm playing in a different position this year and I’ve said before that my responsibility is to the team," he said.

"I’m not a striker, I’m a midfielder and if the boss puts me more up front, I have to do the job."

Owen Hargreaves, who is struggling with an ankle problem, is City’s only absentee ahead of the trip to Loftus Road, with Mancini confident that David Silva will overcome a back injury sustained in Spain.

Alejandro Faurlin is looking forward to coming up against his fellow Argentinian Aguero, for the first time in nine years.

Midfielder Faurlin is far from surprised by the way Aguero has taken to life in the Premier League.

"I actually played against Aguero many years ago when I was playing in the reserves for Rosario Central in Argentina. He was playing for Independiente Reserves and was just 14," said the QPR midfielder.

"I have been very impressed by how quickly he has settled in England, definitely.

"He is a massive player for them, and one of the most famous in Argentina right now."

QPR lost at Tottenham last week, having beaten Chelsea in their previous match.

Faurlin believes Neil Warnock’s side have already shown they can compete with the Premier League’s best.

"Manchester City will be a very difficult game and we have to be realistic.

"Maybe from these three games no-one expected us to get anything, but we've got three points already. We are confident we can produce a good performance against City."